


Friendship and Old Wounds

by BeaSox



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adorable Newt Scamander, Hurt Newt Scamander, Minor Queenie Goldstein/Jacob Kowalski, Other, POV Tina Goldstein, Protective Tina Goldstein
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 06:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeaSox/pseuds/BeaSox
Summary: Tina surprises Newt with a sudden visit and they travel to California where she notices that something is bothering him.





	Friendship and Old Wounds

Tina shifted her feet nervously, the tile floor underneath her boots squeaking. The air was stale and reeked of old dust, as if the hundreds of books that littered the bookshelves hadn't been opened for centuries. She stood on her tippy toes, desperate to sneak a peak of him. He was hunched over, writing something on the front cover of a book. Tina dropped to her normal height when he looked up to give the man his copy back, her heart pounding. She was only six people away now. Only a few feet away from him. She allowed herself to glance at the deep blue banner behind the table, golden letters spelling out words that made her flush in honor. "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" it read, and her heart skipped several beats as she thought about him thinking of her when he chose the title.  
  
It was only when he looked up to hand woman in front of her the signed copy, that he noticed her. For a moment is seemed that he could see right through her, and Tina debated bolting out the nearest exit. The color drained from his face and he clumsily dropped the pen that he was holding onto the floor. The noise echoed through the vast room, suddenly much more quiet when they were the only ones present. He reached down to awkwardly retrieve his pen and Tina tried to collect herself.  
  
"You're...really here..." he spoke softly more to the tablecloth than to her.  
  
"I was hoping that I could obtain your autograph," she slid him her copy, offering a warm smile. "I'm a huge fan."  
  
"Wh-Who should I make it out to?" He returned the gentle smile.  
  
"Have you really forgot about me, when it's only been a year? Someone as intelligent as you surely must have a competent memory," she teased him playfully.  
  
"I could never forget you, Tina."  
  
The mood changed, suddenly the air was heavy and they were both flushing a bright crimson. His hand trembled as he scribbled his signature, and Tina pretended not to notice. She tried to swallowed her grin at how her very presence affected him, failing miserably. He had written another message under his name, and she strained her eyes to make it out. _I missed you_.  
  
"I missed you, too."  
  
  
Newt took Tina to his apartment, a drab place in the cobblestone streets of London. The color scheme was a compiled of dark and light greys, the entire living area ressembling an example of how to not decorate.  
  
"It's very simple," she placed her bowler hat on the wooden coat stand as she surveyed the place slowly.  
  
"I know, I haven't had much time to pursue unpacking. I only recently moved into this space."  
  
"I like it. It's quite relaxing in here. I want to live like this someday, Queenie is the one with the knack for decoration and that sort," Tina confessed. "I doubt you even spent much time out of that case of yours anyway."  
  
She soon found herself in the comforting sun inside the world he had created, the hard floor replaced with plush grass. Newt had said that his beasts had missed her greatly, and she was overcome with excitement. She was surrounded by the magnificent beasts that caused a wave of nostalgia to wash over her aburptly. She had missed this so much. The occamies greeted her cheerfully, and she fed them pellets from a pail.   
  
The only beast that overwhelmed her were the Nundu, who towered over her. Their spikey necks jutted in and out, and she felt her breath get caught in her throat everytime she attempted to reach her hand out. She raised her arm, her hand shaking terribly as her fingertips nearly brushed its flesh. It whipped its head up suddenly, snorting harshly and she cried out. Before she knew it, she was in the dirt, the palms of her hands stinging.   
  
She was embarrassed at how horrible she had proven herself to be, hoping for a black hole to appear and to swallow her up. Newt was at her side in a flash, gently offering to assist her in standing up. She tried to pretend that she wasn't ashamed by her overreaction, and got up to try again. She reached up once more, but her hand shook even worse this time, and the Nundu glared at her evenly.   
  
"Steady," Newt instructed calmly, taking her hand in his naturally. She felt her face heat up as he guided her hand slowly to graze the great beast. She glanced up at him, hoping that he was feeling the unbelievable electricity  that coursed through her body at his touch. He was focused on admiring the Nundu, a small playing on his lips, but she could tell that he was savoring each moment of being close to her. He hesitated as he retracted his hand and moved away from her warmth, the air seeming empty and cold without her.   
  
The rest of the night consisted of chatter and catching up. Tina never had felt such a strong connection as she did with Newt, who seemed to be interested in her, too. She observed him as he got more and more comfortable with her presence, fidgeting and shifting his eyes less as the day progressed. Eventually, they were laying side by side in the grassy terrain of the world in his case, stargazing. She was giggling at something he had said, but the mood changed so quickly that she forgot what had been said, and whether or not it had been intended to be comical. They were both giddy and drunk off of their reunion, their hands nearly brushing as Tina inched hers closer to his. She wanted to feel him, to make sure that he was really there. She was afraid that she was imagining him. He moved his hand away at the last second, unaware of her pitiful attempt at contact.  
  
"Why do you like it down here so much?" She asked, her words floating through the peaceful night.  
  
"It's an escape, I suppose. A way to escape reality and stress, " he explained, sitting up.  
  
"That makes sense. You do a lot of wonderful things for them, you know? They would thank you, if they could," she grinned at him. She was very proud of him. "I imagine it does get quite lonely down here, though."  
  
"Not much, I've been too busy to be focused on anything lately," he responded, his eyes glazing over with unmasked sorrow. He stared at nothing for a while as Tina sat up beside him. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him that she was here for him. He didn't have to be lonely anymore.   
  
"We should travel somewhere," Tina spoke up suddenly, instantly regretting opening her mouth.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Somewhere away from here, away from cities. You like nature, right? Somewhere like that. I need a vacation. All I ever do is work, Queenie is always using that against me. We could both use escapes, maybe," the words tumbled out as she frantically rushed to explain herself. There was a huge chance that he would find this idea to be incredibly stupid and to laugh in her face. What if he didn't even want to spend more time with her?  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Okay?"  
  
"I...yes, it sounds perfect. I could use a bit of adventure right now. I've been cooped up at home far too long," he said, and Tina relaxed instinctively. Maybe he did feel the same way.  
~  
They had their sights set on California. Newt had never been, and Tina wanted to enjoy the summer. It was still fairly cold in New York, and she desperately wanted to indulge in beaches and the sun. Her parents used to own a vacation house in Santa Clara, and she recalled visiting it every summer as a child.   
  
They were only one ferry ride away from docking as Tina leaned over the railing. The cool sea breeze whipped against her face and she closed her eyes in delight. The air was remarkably fresh here, and she dreaded having to breathe in the polluted city air again. She opened her eyes, and glanced at her companion. He seemed a million miles away, his eyes lifeless like the night before. She wanted to ask him what was bothering him, his demeanor conveying a tragic sadness that made her want to hold him in her arms and shield him from the world.  
  
"Is everything okay?" She asked.  
He opened his mouth to answer, but flinched inwardly as someone shouted, announcing that they had finally reached land. Newt busied himself purposefully with his things, and Tina gathered her luggage. She wished that she could tell him to slow down, and to ask if he was really okay.  
  
California was beautiful. The sky was as crisp and clear blue as a painting with wispy clouds. They checked into their hotel, a shared suite with two beds and a door that joined both rooms together. They had to wait for a while before the other occupants checked out and a maid cleaned up. The hotel was right on the beach, the ground turning into blissfully fluffy sand at their feet. The waves crashed close by, a stone sea wall blocking the hotel from possible flooding. Tina removed her shoes, stepping lightly onto the warm sand. Newt followed, staring at the sky and blocking his eyes from the unforgiving sun with his hand.   
  
"It's..." he began.  
  
"...magnificent," she finished, stepping towards the water that lapped at the damp sand. She walk in, and shivered. "It's not cold, I promise."  
  
 She beckoned for Newt to join her, but he shook his head and he reluctantly stepped in. He wrapped his arms around himself as his face grew pale.  
  
"Merlins beard, it's freezing!"  
  
She laughed, and she realized that they were both laughing and enjoying themselves in the moment. She never wanted this to end, a special moment with someone she cared about in a very special place.   
"I used to come here when I was growing up, and we visited this beach," she told him, turning to the ocean. "It makes me feel close to them while I'm here. My parents, I mean."  
  
"I'm sorry, Tina. That you had to go through that. Nobody deserves what you and Queenie had to go through."  
  
"It's okay, really. It happened so long ago, I hardly remember them."  
  
"I'm glad that I get to be here with you," Newt spoke up after a bout of silence. "If it means a lot to you, it means a lot to me, too."  
  
~  
Newt wanted to take Tina out to dinner that evening, was as surprised as she was when he mustered up enough courage to ask. He stood rigidly, his heart racing rapidly as he awaited her answer.  
  
"Do I have to wear something pretty?" She asked teasingly, a heavy implication weighing her question down. She hoped that he would take note that she was hinting of a possible date.  
  
"N-No...I..." He ran his hand through his hair softly. "You already are pretty, Tina."  
  
She was the one left speechless, her words catching in her throat.  
 "Th-Thank you.." she mumbled quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and staring at the floorboards. "I know a nice place, a restaurant nearby." She grabbed his arm and reached for her wand. She found that this was a habit, touching him, but figured that it was one beneficial to her. She loved being close to him.  
~  
"You did?" Newt seemed flabbergasted as he set down his glass of water, his face reddening. Tina had just confessed that she had been trying to track him down for a while, and nearly paid to see him at his book launching event.  
  
"I would pay anything to see you," she said simply, her nerves skyrocketing as the chatter in the restaurant suffocated her.  
  
He was smiling from ear to ear as he stared at the table, unable to hide his giddiness. "I would do the same for you."  
  
Tina raised her glass, "To reuniting. And to friendship."  
  
He tapped his glass against hers,   
"To friendship."  
  
They wandered to the sandy shore of the beach, the night winds flowing through their hair. It was fairly chilly for a California summer, but was far warmer than New York was currently. Tina turned to Newt, who was walking closely behind her in a daze. He stopped himself just in time to prevent bumping into her, and he stepped back as he realized how close he was to her. He could practically reach down and kiss her right now, right under the moonlight on the beach.   
  
"Thank you, Newt. For making my dream to come back here possible, for being there for me. For being my perfect escape from reality, I really...appreciate you. Very much," she peered up at him nervously, trying to read his expression.  
  
"O-Oh, it's not a big deal. I needed a vacation, as well..."  
  
She nodded, having a heated debate in her head if she should make the first move. She clearly cared for him greatly. He knew that he should kiss her, that he should stop overthinking the little things. He imagined pressing his lips against hers, they would be soft and feel like heaven, and they would know exactly what they were doing as if they were made for eachother. Tina began shivering, and he gave her his coat to borrow, but he secretly hoped that she would keep it. She looked absolutely adorable in his clothing, and she didn't find any hurt in the warm embrace that wearing it brang. Her eyes were pearly and wide under the light, and and he couldn't help being mesmerized by them.  
  
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Tina asked.  
  
"It's just...your eyes. They're reflecting the moon and they're...beautiful. I've never seen a more breathtaking sight than you in this moment. But not just right now, you always are so..." He couldn't find the words, so he kissed her instead. It felt just as he had imagined, fireworks going off in his mind. Time seemed to freeze as Tina reached and pressed her hand affectionately to his cheek. His hands found her waist and pulled her closer.   
  
~  
Newt glanced at the time and tried to focus on the words leaving Tina's lips. The same lips that he had kissed for the first time on the beach. An hour had passed, and now it was night. Newt hated night. By now, the day was gone and he somehow felt as if he had wasted it away. He didn't know why, but he was furious at himself. He always hated himself fo the silliest of things, regretting and shaming himself for not doing something that he felt as if he had to. He had kissed Tina. He had _kissed_ her! Wasn't that enough? No. His mind screamed at him that he probably didn't know what he was doing, and that she was disgusted and disappointed in him now.  
  
"Newt?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"You're getting spacey again. Are you alright, are you tired?"  
  
"I've just been thinking...about us. Will we still be friends when we part ways when we both return home?"  
  
Tina straightened up, chewing on her bottom lip. She didn't know the answer. They were both so close yet so far from eachother.  
  
"Will you forget about me?" He pressed on, his timidness shoved to the side as his raw emotion bubbled to the surface.  
  
"No...of course not. We're friends, remember? I could never forget about you. You can trust me."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Trusting you. That you won't stop caring about me in the end."  
  
"Newt..."  
  
"You turned me into the MACUSA when we met, even though you had known me. How will I know if you will not betray me again?"  
  
"Wh----Newt, that was a long time ago. People change, you've said that yourself. I thought you would be over this by now, you didn't even seem upset about the matter when it happened."  
  
He may have hidden it well, but he had been upset. He had been angry but not at her. "J-Just forget it, I'm going to take a walk."  
  
He left her alone in the hotel, wishing each step that he hadn't. That he hadn't opened his damn mouth. He walked by the shore for a bit, then came to a stop and stared at the calm abyss of the ocean. He wondered why he ruined everything, and why he felt so terrified by the fact that things were going great with Tina. He tried to act puzzled by these facts, as if they were new and not a  cycle that only repeated itself in his miserable life. He was scared. He was scared that he would lose her. He didn't know what he'd do if she suddenly ignored him or hated him, and he figured that ruining things as he always did, would be for the better.   
  
He dropped to his knees in the sand, feeling a headache coming on. He was stupid. She was kind and loving, but he was explosive and unreliable in contrast. He didn't deserve her love.   
  
~  
  
Newt found Tina with her knees hugged to her chest, she was shaking, and he felt his heart break into a million pieces. He had made her cry. He was an utterly terrible, terrible human being.  
  
"Tina..."  
  
"Ne-Newt, I'm so s-s-sorry for everything, I always p-put my work before relationships and I know that I n-need to work on it. I'm t-trying. Please forgive me, I know that y-you nearly lost all of your beasts and case because of m-me. I'm so sorry..." She sobbed, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks.  
  
"Oh, Tina," he whispered, sitting beside her and pulling her gently into his chest. He held her tightly as if she would disappear at any given moment.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm the one who brought it up and was horrible to you on the subject. I'm not truly mad at you, I'm angry with myself. I hate myself. I really do. I would have let myself die in the execution chamber the day that we met, because I had no reason to live if my beasts weren't safe. But you were there. I needed to protect you and keep you safe at all costs, even if I had to die for you. I would have. I cared for you so much and so easily that it petrified me. I didn't want you to get the chance to hurt me and make the world seem pointless. Everyone leaves me eventually, Tina."  
  
She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and buried her head into her arm. "I won't leave you, I promise. You can trust me. I care about you too much to hurt you. I know that you've been hurt before, but I'm not her, Newt. I will never be Leta." She didn't know much about the myserious woman of his past, but Queenie had informed her on what she could gather. Her sister told her that she had hurt him and that he was still damaged from their abusive relationship.  
  
"She made me want to die, Tina," he whispered. He remembered the sleepless nights and staring into the mirror and hating what he saw. He remembered believing that he was broken and that he had done something wrong to make her so cruel to him. His arms were around Tina as she rested against his chest weakly.

"You make me want to live."

~  
Tina crept foward and slowly turned the door knob, pushing the door open. It let out a muffled creak, and she winced. Newt was fast asleep in his bed, his head nestled between three puffy pillows. She was thirsty, her throat dry from crying a few hours before.  
 Tina stepped catiously towards him, consumed by curiosity, and observed how peaceful he seemed. She suspected that he had cried himself not too long ago to sleep, as fresh tears stuck to his cheeks. She wondered what he had been upset over, and if he had longed to be held by someone, too. She wondered when the last time that he had a friend was, the last time that he had someone watching his back.  
  
He stirred, causing her to step back out of instinct and shock. He heard her  footsteps, and she cursed for not knowing that he was a light sleeper. He hurriedly wiped his face, sitting up,  
"Tina?"  
  
"Yes, it's me...I just was getting a glass of water...you were crying."  
  
She didn't give him a chance to deflect her concern, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened, clearly not used to being held. She ignored this as she felt him relax and give into her comfort.   
 He closed his eyes, their breathing soft and the only sound in the room.  
~  
They returned home after a week of the sun, the beach, and peculiar food combinations. Tina was pretty sure that now ninety percent of her blood was purely consisted of shrimp due to her limited knowledge of the cuisine in this state. The remaining days were perfect; they cooked together anDtook long walks as an excuse to talk for the day. She woke up on their last day, in a subconscious good mood. She remembered kissing him goodnight then falling asleep instantly with the memory of his touch.  
  
  
The loud bustling of New York was somewhat comforting to Tina as they reached her apartment. They waited for Queenie to arrive, and she was looking foward for a bit of more alone time with Newt. He paced back and forth anxiously, wondering what they would think of him. He had voiced his concerns to Tina on the ferry ride, afraid that Jacob wouldn't remember him and that he annoyed Queenie.   
  
"Your sister hates me," he said when Tina stopped him.  
  
"She doesn't hate you."  
  
He didn't seem convinced, and she placed a hand on his chest. She felt his heart beat, fluttering rapidly against her hand. "When someone hurts you like that, you shouldn't blame yourself. They aren't worth it, Newt. She isn't worth you spending your life in fear that letting people in will only result in you getting hurt again."  
  
He nodded, and this time she believed that he took her words to heart. She smiled, hoping that she could make him relax.   
"Just be cool, okay?"  
  
"Of course, I am cool," he mumbled sarcastically, the sides of his mouth turning up.  
  
"Mhmm," she said, sliding her hand to his face and pressing her lips to his. She felt as if she would never get used to the feeling of kissing him, and how many emotions exploded in her mind when he touched her.   
  
The door opened, and they seperated, too late for the two entering the room to not have spied anything. They blushed in unison, and Queenie broke the silence by rushing to smother Newt in a hug.   
~  
That night, the four were catching up and sharing childhood stories. Jacob was intrigued by the major differences in their childhood experience, feeling robbed of magical abilities.   
  
Tina felt a weight rest on her shoulder, and smiled when she saw that Newt had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder. She placed her hand on his head, running her fingers though his hair.   
  
"He has trouble sleeping, he must feel comfortable around you guys to fall asleep like this," she told them.  
  
"I think he feels comfortable around you, honey," Queenie pointed out, and Tina felt the moon shine down in approval. The stars twinkled outside the window, a silent encouragement and approval solidifying the sturdy foundation of her feelings for Newt. She would never let anyone hurt him again, and would love him forever. She was sure that she wanted to marry this fantastic man.  



End file.
